Need help!

[canadianman]

Pro-disk L5-S1 Jan 25/08.

Well I've been waiting and waiting for my left leg nerve to end, but instead it seems to be getting worse. I am presently writing this kneeling on the floor because it hurts to sit! I thought I was on the road to being pain free, but I can now see that it's not going to happen.

The second I woke up after the surgery over a year ago, I had left leg nerve pain which prior to the operation I rarely had. It was all right leg pain and back pain. Now no right leg pain or back pain just this left leg that is driving me crazy! The worst is driving, every crack in the road is like taking a guitar string and plucking it, it vibrates down to my foot. I used to get relief by standing, I could walk and stand all day for the past year, but for the past month something has changed and now, the nerve pain rarely goes away. Prior to the surgery sitting or lying was when I was pain free, but now those are my worst positions. Tonight I have had enough and I need advise on what to do!

I refuse to take any meds for this, although when a have had a severe headache and have taken 2 advil for it I am pain free for a few hours.

Back in Feb of 08 I had sent my films to Dr. Zeegers just to make sure my doc did it right and he had said that it looks good to him and I just needed to wait it out.

I'm no doctor, but I think that for this past year the nerve has been rubbing against something and now it is becoming damaged!
So right now I'm at the point that I have to do something before this gets worse.

Thank you.

[Jessica]

I am sorry to hear of your pain. Have you had any diagnostic tests to confirm where the pain may be coming from, like a discogram or diagnostic injections? Have you had any imaging like a CT with contrast or an MRI? My MRI's are distorted from my Prodisc, so I have to have CT with contrast called a myelogram.

I have a disc that looks ok in an MRI, but during a discogram was revealed to have tears and fissures and be the source of my pain.

[steelskyway]

Hello neighbor to the north! I am curious as is Jessica what type of diagnostic testing has been done to research the root cause of the pain?

Paul

[canadianman]

Hello and thank for your reply.
My doc is a 3hr car ride away. I saw him at 6 months after the surgery, but since then have not been in contact with him or any other doc. I have been waiting for my back to heal and not rushing into doing tests, when maybe all it needs is time. Have I waited long enough? What test should I do first? Who should I go see?

[Harrison]

You may find some of the topics in the Spinal Roundtable helpful, e.g. this one:

RF Ablation and Precision SCS

Hope this helps...